Virginia City, Montana

Tom Williams, pictured above, at 82 is a Virginia City native.  He had an approx. 40 year military career that took him around the globe and eventually he landed back in Virginia City where I had the pleasure of meeting him today. He warned me that my lens could break while taking his picture.  Undoubtedly a wonderful person, I wish I had the chance to sit with him and listen to him just talk...

Bench.  Virginia City, Montana

 

Stone Wall & Portrait.  Virginia City

 

Old Gas Pumps.  Virginia City

Nikon D3S & Nikon 24 pce lens

A Few iPhone Images From Montana

On our way over to Chico Hot Springs in Montana and Yellowstone. First night at the Murray in Livingston, a favorite hotel of mine. It all starts though, at the Calf-A in Dell, Montana. It's an ex-school house turned cafe. The history is all over the walls and just about everything is homemade including their pies! Here are a few iPhone images from the day. The image on the bottom is an abstract of ice. All of these photos in addition to being taken on the iPhone were edited on the iPhone using NIK's really incredible app, Snapseed.

Star Trails On Silver Creek, Idaho

Star Trails & Bridge.  Silver Creek, Idaho

I just got back from the Nature Conservancy section of Silver Creek after taking a few long exposure images.  It was about 20 degrees and windy.  Just after starting my first exposure a beaver exploded at the surface and scared the daylights out of me.  It was dark, and got the front element of my lens wet.  I started over again and got this image.  Lots to work on here, but it's a start...  I used the long exposure noise reduction option on my Nikon D3S and it took roughly 90 minutes to finish processing after the shutter closed.  It was an approx. 61 minute exposure.

Nikon D3S & Nikon 14-24 f2.8 lens

 

November Sawtooths Pano

Sawtooths, Idaho.  November. (4 image pano)

Nikon D3S and Nikon afs 80-200 f2.8 lens 

I am using my Really Right Stuff macro rail mounted on a Really Right Stuff ballhead to find the nodal point on any given lens prior to shooting a pano.  If you want a great explanation of a nodal point and how to accomplish finding it click on this link HERE to go to Really Right Stuff's site and see their concise breakdown of what is and how to find a nodal point.

 

Silver Creek In November

 

 

Silver Creek, Idaho.  Early November

The above images were taken this morning about twenty minutes or so after the sun came up.  While setting up to take the top image from just off the road, a small agricultural truck at high speed swerved at me to within a few feet and effectively "buzzed my tower."  The two in the mini white truck caught some air as they uncontrolably left the road and somehow managed to get back on the road and vaporize in a cloud of dust and out to a field adjacent to Silver Creek...

Nikon D3S & Nikon 35 f2 lens

I am often sent articles, images videos, etc..., which for many reasons illicit all kinds of different emotions. Some, like the Wall Street Journal article I have a link to HERE, serve as controversial, thought provoking pieces.  In the WSJ article, the question, on a small section of California's Silver King Creek, is whether or not to rotenone and effectively "kill off" an entire section of the creek which would include a voluminous quantity of macro invertebrates in order to start from scratch and reintroduce the indigenous Paiute Trout.  The question I believe needs to be asked, rather than how to improve the fishery, is how to improve the watershed?

On a similar note, should you come across images, video or an article that you think is worthy of sharing, send it on to me. 

Here's a LINK to an incredible video on Tarpon fishing. 

 

Fall Aspen Leaf

Backlit Fallen Aspen Leaf & Frost

Nikon D200 & Nikon 105 Micro Lens

Have you checked out the 500px site yet?  You can see some of my photographic work along with many other talented photographers' work.  Click HERE to check it out.

Abstract Ice Images II

A few more abstract images I took today on the Big Wood River, Idaho.  The ice I have been shooting through is approx. 1/2 inch thick and about the size of a frisbee.  I have been using the Nikon 35 f2 lens as it seems to be the perfect focal length for this purpose (I am using a 35mm or Full Frame sized sensor).  I have learned that using gloves to hold the ice for an extended period of time helps...

English Setter On The River

This is Guinness, my English Setter, along the banks of the Big Wood River and a rare moment of sitting still.

 

Trusses, Clouds & Cerulean Sky

 

Big Wood River, Fall Leaves & Stone

 

Nikon D3S & Nikon 35 f2 Lens

Boulder Mountains & Sunrise

Sunrise On Silver Peak.  Boulder Mountains, Idaho

 

Boulder Mountains, Idaho

1st of November and at the time of taking the above images this morning it was a brisk 15 degrees.  Most leaves have now hit the ground and rattle in the cold breeze along with the dessicated grass stalks like thousands of subdued rattlesnakes.

Nikon D3S & Nikon 35 f2 lens

Check out the new, November, issue of Catch Magazine where I have an image in the essay on "Blue."

Lower Big Wood River, Idaho

Lower Big Wood River Canyon & Lone Fisherman

Nikon D3S & Nikon 35 f2 lens

 

Leaves are still barely hanging on to the aspens & cottonwoods and on windy afternoons along the Big Wood River dead but brilliant leaves are carried away on a flow that's roughly 35% higher than average.  Nobody is on our local water and this is really a wonderful time of year to get a little solitude...

 

Simplicity

Nikon D3S & Nikon Micro 105 lens